Pets Bring Joy: Emergency Medical Grant Report

How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?

We used the Emergency Medical Grant money to fund surgical and dental expenses for one of our senior cats, Alfreda. The funds paid for a comprehensive cleaning for her periodontal disease (level 2), removal of her oral tumor, an abdominal exam with x-rays, and a supply of medications (prednisalone and metronidazole) needed to treat her gastrointestinal issues.

The mission of Pets Bring Joy (PBJ), a 501(c)(3) organization, is to provide a safe harbor for at-risk homeless animals in the greater Washington, D.C., metropolitan area by establishing and supporting a foster community to care for them until loving and permanent homes can be found, and by overseeing a thoughtful and thorough adoption program. PBJ places a priority on rescuing friendly, adoptable senior cats who are at risk in high-volume urban and remote rural shelters because they are often sadly overlooked by adopters in favor of kittens. The Petfinder Foundation Emergency Medical Grant we received covered our medical expenses for rescuing one such animal, allowing us not only to save her, but to redirect existing funds towards helping the many other cats in our care as fosters (82 cats are in our care as fosters as of Aug. 1).

How many pets did this grant help?

The grant funds were used to pay for medical expenses for one cat.

Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.

Alfreda is a 10-year-old senior who entered Pets Bring Joy in January 2020. PBJ rescued her from Baltimore County Animal Services, where the shelter vet had noted the following preexisting medical issues: mild periodontal disease, a tumor on her lower gumline, and beginning-stage kidney disease. Upon intake, a PBJ veterinarian further discovered a number of recurring gastrointestinal issues, putting Alfreda at risk of lifelong megacolon.

Thanks to the grant we received from the Petfinder Foundation, we were able to fully fund her dental surgery — including the removal of the (thankfully, benign) tumor — as well as to obtain treatment and medications for her intestinal issues. Because of the excellent care Alfreda received, she recovered from her surgery and her intestinal issues are successfully being managed with the help of medication.

In late July, Alfreda finally had her dream come true: She has officially been adopted! The attached photo of Alfreda in the red chair shows her happily snoozing in her new home. Thank you so much, Petfinder Foundation, for enabling us to help her get well and find her forever family!